Avg. Customer Rating:(based on 113 reviews) Sales Rank: 2019 Category: Book
Author:Julia Quinn Publisher:Avon Studio:Avon Manufacturer:Avon Label:Avon Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published) Media: Mass Market Paperback Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 384 Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4 Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3
Amelia Willoughby has been engaged to the Duke of Wyndham for as long as she can remember. Literally. A mere six months old when the contracts were signed, she has spent the rest of her life waiting. And waiting. And waiting . . . for Thomas Cavendish, the oh-so-lofty duke, to finally get around to marrying her. But as she watches him from afar, she has a sneaking suspicion that he never thinks about her at all . . .
It's true. He doesn't. Thomas rather likes having a fiancee?all the better to keep the husband-hunters at bay?and he does intend to marry her . . . eventually. But just when he begins to realize that his bride might be something more than convenient, Thomas's world is rocked by the arrival of his long-lost cousin, who may or may not be the true Duke of Wyndham. And if Thomas is not the duke, then he's not engaged to Amelia. Which is the cruelest joke of all, because this arrogant and illustrious duke has made the mistake of falling in love . . . with his own fiancee!
Substandard at best November 21, 2008 1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Lifeless characterizations of both the Duke and Amelia; parallel plotline with earlier book was confusing, offputting and poorly done. Not worthy of the cost of publishing and production, let alone purchase. Ms. Quinn is capitalizing on the loyalty of her sphere of readers to pass off this badly executed work. I will be much more hesitant to purchase the next one of her titles.
Same wine, new skin November 20, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Whatever made Julia Quinn think that readers would like to read the same story twice over? 80% of the book is devoted to the same story from the first book, seen from Thomas's point of view this time.
And the sad part is, the little interaction that Ms Quinn lets us see between Amelia and Thomas is so beautifully done, I feel she wasted this romance on an experiment.
Should have been 1 book - with 2 loves stories - that would have worked! November 18, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am not going to rehash the plot - because 2 times is enough. If you have read The Lost Duke of Wyndham (Two Dukes of Wyndham, Book 1) than you know this novels plot as well. This book is the story of a 'lost' Duke reclaiming the title ;from Amelia (Duke fiance) and Thomas (the current Duke) perspective. It was interesting to see how they, saw the story but the mystery of the story was gone. If you have read the first book - read this one it's a nice conclusion to The Lost Duke of Wyndham (Two Dukes of Wyndham, Book 1) novel.
It was well written and took me a little of a day to read - better then most but I think this story just wasn't packaged right, maybe one large book would have been better with both loves stories in one?
Disappointing November 17, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Julia Quinn is at her best when her heroine's a pert and her heroes are confident. She excels at the breezy dialogue these type of characters inspire and - so long as the madcap hijinks aren't allowed to overtake the personalities too much as in "It's in His Kiss" - laugh out loud funny situations. She really shines when her characters are subversively pert and let their intelligence show through in witty repartee.
Unfortunately, as the heroine of Mr. Cavendish, I Presume laments, even her own mother says she is of "adequate" intelligence. She is of "adequate" everything else, if adequate is a synonym for "bland." She is so lacking in personality that her life-long fiance, the Duke of Wyndham, notices her as much as the wallpaper. Yet despite his lack of attention, Amelia quietly pines for him. When Wyndham stands in danger of losing his title she must make it clear that it is the man she wants not the title.
Amelia does not ever particularly shine as a heroine. There is no defining point for her during the book. She is a secondary character to the events that occur around her. Thomas, the duke-as-was, is only marginally better drawn although he is so stuffy and at times stiff-rumped to be truly sympathetic. The first book in this series, "The Lost Duke of Wyndham", shone with the vivacity and lightness of the irrepressible Grace and the puckish Jack. I was not as bothered by the close parallels to the books as other readers were, but I was bothered that Thomas and Amelia were too darn boring to hold my interest for very long.
Perhaps, as others suggested, it would have been better for this to have been a subplot within the first book. But having been disappointed by "The Secret Diaries of Miranda Cheevers" for much the same reason, I encourage Ms. Quinn to stay to her strengths - show us, don't tell us why we should invest our time in these characters.
SO DISAPPOINTING! November 17, 2008 2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Oh my gosh! I am so disappointed by this book. It is literally a slightly rewritten version of The Lost Duke of Wyndham (Two Dukes of Wyndham, Book 1). There are maybe a couple of scenes that are new, that show who the Duke of Wyndham really is, but beyond that it is the same story. Some scenes are actually the exact same! I mean, while reading it, I knew exactly what was going to happen next, who was going to say what next. It was so sad...and depressing. Save your money folks and just read the first book.
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